The Best Lip Balms With SPF
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In the past few years, I’ve become ritualistic about mysunscreen. I never go a day without it, putting it on after mymoisturizerwhether I’m heading out to an event (rare) or spending the day in front of my laptop (always). I never think about applying sunscreen to my lips, though. It doesn’t occur to me to protect them from UV rays, but it’s just as important, if not more so. Lips are particularly vulnerable to UV damage because the skin is thinner and more delicate there. Beyond the obvious pain of a sunburn, UV damage on the lips can cause a whole host of issues, from triggering cold sores to risking skin cancer.
The answer to this is lip balm. There are lots of lip balms with SPF, and of all the sunscreen formats, it’s the easiest to reapply. Similar to regular sunscreen it’s most effective when applied every two hours or as you feel it start to wear off, which naturally happens as you eat, drink, and chat. This section of the sunscreen landscape is continuously evolving, and in the months since I updated this story, things have taken a glossier turn. Supergoop has sunsetted the vast majority of its waxier formulas for shinier fare and Ultra Violette, a newish Australian sunscreen brand, recently debuted a lip product and it comes in a shiny and sparkly shiny finish. With that said, I’ve still been testing the gamut, trying everything I can find. This round, I disqualified anything that deviated too far from a regular lip balm because I figured that something thin or too sunscreen-flavored would be off-putting and less likely to be used every day. I ended up omitting a few for this very reason — the formulas tended to be too thin to be moisturizing, or they left a white cast behind. I also polled my fellow Strategist writers and an esthetician friend, who echoed my best overall pick, below.
Update on November 21, 2025:
I removed lots of discontinued lip balms from Supergoop and added Ultra Violette’s Sheen Screen SPF 50 lip balm.
Whatwe’relookingfor
SPF level
Sun protection factor (SPF) is a multiplier of protection and extends the time it takes to burn. The higher the SPF, the longer it’ll take. As we mentioned inour SPF explainer, “If you would normally burn after five minutes in the sun, then with SPF 30, it will take 2.5 hours to burn.” The right SPF level largely depends on skin color. People with melanated skin, which tends to have a built-in SPF of around 13.4, are able to use lower-SPF sunscreen and still find it effective. Most lip balms hover between SPF 20 and 30, which block 95 percent and 97 percent of UV rays, respectively.
Chemical or mineral
There are two types of sunscreen filters: chemical and mineral. Chemical filters like oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octocrylene, and octisalate work by absorbing the sun’s rays, converting them into heat and then releasing it. Mineral sunscreens (also referred to as physical sunscreens) create a barrier on the skin that reflects UV rays instead of absorbing them. Both are effective, and the choice often comes down to personal preference.
Best lip balm with SPF overall
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SPF level:SPF 25 |SPF Type:Chemical
When thinking about the bestlip balmwith SPF, I considered a few things. First, an SPF of at least 20. I also looked for lip balms you’d want to wear every day or at least wouldn’t mind wearing in place of your Vaseline or Summer Fridays. My final consideration was taste. Many of the ones I tested were thin and tasted like sunscreen, which gets old fast, especially if you need to eat. With all that in mind, I landed on theJack Black lip balm, which ticks all of the boxes. It has a similar consistency to Vaseline and feels nice on the lips, offering a protective film. The first ingredient in the balm is beeswax (which explains the texture), followed by other moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, lanolin, and cocoa butter. What I like best about this lip balm is that despite containing SPF, it doesn’t seem like it, which makes it more likely to be used every day. It has a matte finish, too, which makes it nice for layering and appeals to anyone who doesn’t want to look like they’re wearing lip gloss all the time. It’s also esthetician-approved.Samantha Mims, an esthetician at Brooklyn Face and Eye, recommends it for all skin types, including sensitive, noting that it’s “thick, nourishing, and conditioning.” As far as scents go, there are lots to choose from, and while I tend to be wary of fragrance (and if you are sensitive, I’d be cautious), I haven’t experienced any adverse reactions. Another plus is that it’s widely available at Sephora and Ulta and on Amazon.
Best glossy lip balms with SPF
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SPF level:SPF 20 |SPF Type:Chemical
I’m partial to a shiny lip balm, and of all the options I tried, my favorite was this one fromElizabeth Arden, which has a thick, nourishing feel and stays on for an impressively long time. It’s reminiscent of my Summer Fridays balm but a touch thinner, which makes sense because they share a few ingredients, like shea and murumuru butters. I ultimately don’t mind the slightly thinner consistency because it doesn’t sacrifice moisture and is still shiny.
Best tinted glossy lip balms with SPF
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SPF level:SPF 45 |SPF Type:Chemical
A very close runner-up is this lip balm from Naturium. It has an ultra-moisturizing feel, thanks to ingredients like shea and cupuaçu butter and squalane oil. Esthetician and brand founder, Shani Darden, is also a fan of the formula (specifically the non-SPF version), which she describes as “really hydrating.” It’s a little glossier than the Elizabeth Arden and thicker too. I also really like the shade range. The color tint is reminiscent of my favorite lip gloss, the now-discontinued Ami Colé Lip Oil, which offers a wash of color but doesn’t compete with your natural lip color. Another thing I like: it doesn’tfeellike there’s SPF in it. Some lip balms feel noticeably different because of the added ingredient, but this one offers UV ray protection while still feeling like a regular lip balm.
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SPF level:SPF 50 |SPF Type:Chemical
I also like this balm from Ultra Violette, which contains SPF 50 and comes in two shades:Dusk and Bejewelled. I tried Dusk, a rosy-brown neutral, and was pleased to find that it wasn’t too opaque but still plenty glossy. The feel isn’t too far off from a glossy balm, and it wears nicely too. It’s a little more sunscreen tasting than the Naturium, but it isn’t so noticeable as to be totally put off.The main ingredients are lanolin, cocoa butter, and vitamin E. The effect is similar to Naturium but a touch thinner. Our friends at The Cut are also fans. Writer Chinea Rodriguez says it looks like a gloss but doesn’t have the “usual, heavy sticky feel.” I agree.
Best less expensive glossy lip balm with SPF
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SPF level:SPF 30 |SPF Type:Chemical
If $29 feels a bit spendy for a lip balm, the Supergoop! Play lip balm is a good alternative at less than half the price. It’s thick like the Elizabeth Arden and a little less shiny. There are two flavors to pick from: a nice (and slightly tingly) mint flavor and a sweet-smelling açai. Similarly to the above balms, this lip balm moisturizes using shea butter — a favorite ingredient for me — along with safflower, sesame, and sunflower oils, which results in a lightweight but still moisturizing balm. It also has a higher SPF than the Elizabeth Arden, which could be good if your lips are particularly sun-sensitive or you’re spending a lot of time outdoors.
Best lip balm with mineral SPF
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SPF level:SPF 30 |SPF Type:Mineral
For a slicker mineral option, this one from Kopari is nice and glossy. It comes in three translucent shades—nude, pink, and coral—and has a silky feel. In comparison to the brand’s clear, non-SPF shade, it’s thicker-feeling and a touch less glossy, reminding me of the Laneige Lip Balm. My one caveat: the color is pretty concentrated. It isn’t as sheer as the Naturium balm, for example, which is moreso a wash of color, but not as pigmented as a lipstick. The in-between means that it shows up, particularly on deeper lip colors, something to keep in mind in case you prefer a sheer balm.
Ourexperts
• Liza Corsillo, Strategist writer
• Samantha Mims, esthetician atBrooklyn Face and Eye
• Ambar Pardilla, Strategist writer
• Dominique Pariso, Strategist writer
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